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Childhood - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan.

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Early years - The singer had a difficult childhood growing up in the suburbs of Detroit. She lost her mother at five years old to breast cancer.

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In search of her dream - Together with her five siblings, Madonna had to learn quickly how to make ends meet. In 1978 she moved to New York City to pursue a career in modern dance.

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Drawn to music - Increasingly drawn to music, however, she ended up playing guitar and drums for a number of rock bands. She also began to sing.

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'Like a Virgin' - She signed with record label Sire in 1982 and released her debut album 'Madonna' the following year. The rising star truly broke out with her second album 'Like a Virgin' (1984), which sold 20 million copies.

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Music and film - Now a global celebrity, Madonna further enhanced her career by starring in movies, including 'Desperately Seeking Susan' (1985).

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'Desperately Seeking Susan' - Co-starring Rosanna Arquette, the film was a huge hit and Madonna received positive reviews for her portrayal as Susan.

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Music royalty - A segment on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1985 featured Madonna as Princess Diana alongside Jon Lovitz as Prince Charles, Terry Sweeney as Nancy Reagan, and Randy Quaid as Ronald Reagan.

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More 'Saturday Night Live' - Another episode of 'Saturday Night Live' saw Madonna as Marilyn Monroe, with Joan Cusack as a maid.

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Live Aid - Madonna joined the superstar lineup in Philadelphia for the US edition of Live Aid. The year also saw her marry actor Sean Penn.

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'True Blue' and a critical mauling -

Madonna released her third album 'True Blue,' another global chart-topper. But she also starred in the critically panned film 'Shanghai Surprise' (1986).

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'Shanghai Surprise' - The film co-starred her then-husband Sean Penn.

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With a little help from her friend - It was produced by George Harrison's Handmade Films. The former Beatle appeared in a cameo role as a nightclub singer.

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Who's that girl? - 'Who's That Girl' (1986) also featured Madonna. She also contributed to the film's soundtrack, and the following year she embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour.

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'The Tonight Show' - The singer was relaxed and exuded self-confidence during her 1987 appearance on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.'

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Who's That Girl World Tour - Madonna performing at New York's Madison Square Garden.

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Madonna is that girl - The Who's That Girl World Tour took place in Europe, Asia, and North America.

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The Blond Ambition Tour -

The Blond Ambition Tour prompted Madonna to introduce her notorious cone brassiere and garters stage costume. 

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Fashion icon - Each concert afforded the singer—by now a celebrated fashion icon—to change costume several times during the show.

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The cone brassiere - French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier designed the costumes for the tour.

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'Truth or Dare' - The tour was filmed and released in 1991 as 'Madonna: Truth or Dare' (aka 'In Bed with Madonna').

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Rockumentary -

A success at the box office and warmly received by critics, the rockumentary was screened at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, but was not up for any awards.

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The best tour of the 1990s - The Blond Ambition World Tour is regarded by many as Madonna's most iconic musical performance. Rolling Stone magazine called it the best tour of the 1990s.

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Cannes Film Festival - The singer, with 'Madonna: Truth or Dare' director Alex Keshishian, arrived in Cannes to be met by flashbulbs and fanfare.

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Sultry - Woody Allen's comedy 'Shadows and Fog' (1992) featured a suitably sultry-looking Madonna as Marie. But the critical response was lukewarm.

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A big hitter - Penny Marshall's box-office hit 'A League of Their Own' (1992) did far better. The singer played Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team.

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Diva - Madonna deserved her Golden Globe for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her portrayal as Eva Perón in 'Evita' (1996).

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Best original song - The song 'You Must Love Me' written for Madonna by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber won a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

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Kabbalah - Madonna later embraced Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah. Her seventh studio album, 'Ray of Light' (1998), reflected this significant change in her image and perception.

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'Ray of Light' - The techno-rave-influenced 'Ray of Light' was honored with four Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording.

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Film star - To date Madonna has participated in some 20 films, including 2000s' 'The Next Best Thing' in which she appeared alongside close friend Rupert Everett.

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Drowned World Tour - After an eight-year hiatus, Madonna embarked on her Drowned World Tour in 2001.

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The name's Bond... Madonna Bond! - 'Die Another Day' was released in 2002 to coincide with the Bond film of the same name. It was oddly nominated for both a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry for Worst Song.

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Children's book author - Many people aren't as familiar with the romantic and maternal side of the Material Girl. Madonna has penned several children's books, the first of which was titled 'The English Roses.'

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'The English Roses' - Of course she didn't miss the chance to teach valuable lessons about the feminine world and the difficulties in life. Envy, friendship, and preconceptions are the main themes running through the picture book.

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Marriage to and divorce from Guy Ritchie - In 2000, Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie. She filed for divorce in 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.

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Fame! - She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

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Trauma - In a 2013 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the singer revealed that she was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in her early twenties after moving to New York.

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Queen of Pop pays tribute to Prince - Madonna performing a tribute to Prince during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.

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All powerful - The Guinness World Records recognizes her as the most successful female artist of all time, with more than 300 million albums sold worldwide.

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Best-selling female artist - She's also Billboard's Hot 100 all-time-top-performing female artist.

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Lady Madonna - Furthermore, according to Billboard magazine, Madonna is second only to the Beatles in terms of chart-topping singles sales.

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Fashion -

Brimming over with style and attitude, the diva released her own clothing line in 2010 called Material Girl, a collaboration with her daughter Lourdes and inspired by Madonna's punk style from the '80s.

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Businesswoman - Madonna is no rookie businesswoman. Back in 1992, she founded her own entertainment company, called Maverick, with interests in music, film, publishing, TV broadcasting, and merchandising.

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Wealth - The music icon currently has a net worth of about US$850 million.

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Awards - One of the most awarded artists in music history, to date she has received more than 300 accolades.

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Empowerment for women - Madonna performs at the Women's March in Washington, D.C., 2017.

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Lucrative tour -

The 2008-2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour generated a total gross of US$408 million, at the time the second-highest grossing tour of all time.

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Preferences - Like most people, Madonna holds strong opinions about her body. Apparently her favorite part of her body is her eyes. But she can't stand her feet, and considers them horrible.

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Catwoman - The role of Catwoman in 'Batman Returns' (1992) was originally slated for Madonna. However, the singer made so many demands that she ended up losing the opportunity.

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Lifestyle - One of the singer's great passions is yoga and she practices every day. She once managed to recast herself as a yoga teacher in a film even though the original script called for a swimming instructor.

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In the family - Natural talent seems to run in the family! Madonna is a cousin of fellow singer Gwen Stefani.

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Fears and phobias - Despite the incredible self-confidence she exudes, Madonna actually suffers from claustrophobia (the fear of closed or crowded spaces) and brontophobia (the fear of thunder and lighting).

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For good causes - Madonna and her ex, actor Sean Penn, with David Banda and Mercy James, arrive at the 5th Annual Sean Penn & Friends HELP HAITI HOME Gala in California.

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Portugal - Madonna moved out to Portugal in 2017 and lived there until 2019. She still owns a magnificent historic house just outside of Lisbon called Quinta do Relógio. 

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'Madame X' - Madonna released her 14th studio album in June 2019. It received overall positive reviews, and was heavily influenced by her time living in Portugal.

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'Madame X' tour -

Her tour for the album kicked off in September 2019. Despite plans to wrap in March 2020, injuries and production issues plagued the tour, as well as Madonna's repeated late arrivals. Ultimately COVID-19 saw the tour end earlier than anticipated.

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'Finally Enough Love' -

In 2022, Madonna released a compilation/remix album called 'Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones' in celebration of her record-breaking milestone. The Queen of Pop has had 50 number ones on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, more than any other artist. 

See also: The best duets in music history

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